The Roaring Silence
by RedauraTamashii
Summary: In a world of war everyone fights. In one day two sisters are ripped apart by a war that Faith didn't even know exsisted. Her little sister Talitha in deadly peril and herself she has to fight a beautifully deadly assassin. Love was never so deadly.
1. Chapter 1: The Roaring Silence

Untitled piece  
  
Pg13  
  
Two sisters live happily in a small city. A witch and a human, fostered into the same family live happily. But what happens when someone wants them dead? And what if it was more than one person? And what happens when that ever annoying soulmate connection gets in the way?  
  
Authors' Note: We have joined forces to give you this story that is based on an Rpg. Great thanks to Jenni for setting up the RPG and being an extremely strict games master.  
  
Tamashii: Hello this is our fic that we are doing together. I am writing one chapter and she is doing the next. It hopefully will be interesting...... If it ain't it her fault.  
  
Redaura: HAHAHA  
  
The Roaring Silence  
  
Talitha grinned as the moon appeared from behind the thunderous cloud it had hidden behind. It was quiet on the street below as even the humans knew to stay off the streets of this town at night. Daybreakers maybe around every corner, but the large population of werewolves were always just a couple of feet infront of them.  
  
Talitha moved her silk curtain off her shoulder. The blood red glistened in the moonlight. Her room was blood red, the curtains, the ceiling, the walls and the floor. Her bed was piled high with cushions in Red silk. It came of having a human foster father.  
  
She had been adopted with her brother, Aidan, by a human couple. He had been 8 and she had been 4, and they had not been noticed by the Night World authorities as witches. As a result they had been discovered by accident when Aidan was 12 and accidentally turned a boy to stone.  
  
Since then a witch, Nicas, had been teaching Aidan and Talitha in witchcraft. Nicas was a skilled witch and a good teacher, although he was young.  
  
In between that time Faith had been adopted. She was older than Talitha by two years and was a human. Faith looked remarkably like Talitha, although they were not related. They both were blonde although their eyes were very different.  
  
Their parents were a rich family. They owned a large house in the centre of town. It was a main result of their father's dedication to his work rather than the family. He travelled all over the world and came back from every place with little gifts.  
  
The last time he had come back from Hong Kong with traditional dresses. He probably thought this would make up for his absence. Talitha looked more to Aidan than to her father for a role model.  
  
The siblings were very close, even with the secrets the brother and sister kept from Faith, they all shared everything, having everything they ever wanted, they hardly ever argued.  
  
Talitha's attention switched back to the street where a growl alerted her that a werewolf was looking up at her from the street. She recognised him as a boy from her school.  
  
"What do you want Andy Pandy?" She asked mocking him. He growled and scampered off as a car drew up to the drive. Aidan got out the car. He smiled and waved up at his sister.  
  
"Shouldn't you be in bed? You have school tomorrow." He leant on his car absorbing the night air and grinning up at his little sister.  
  
"Shouldn't you? I believe you have Uni tomorrow." Talitha reminded her brother playing with her long hair with a finger.  
  
"Touché." He grinned back at her and passed her balcony and into the house. Talitha was once again left to her thoughts on the cold night air. She pulled her robe around her and leant against the pillaring that held her balcony up.  
  
"Hello mr star." Talitha said staring up into the nights sky. "Here I am again. All alone. The daybreakers are getting more hopeless as the days pass. According to Nicas there were no daybreakers a year ago. Nicas. He is so fit. He is a male witch though so no surprises there."  
  
"Goddess I am so sad talking to a star. Not that you mind and there is anyone here to hear me." Talitha stopped talking and looked into the street beyond the drive. It was still quiet. It gave off a blue glisten in the moonlight. The rain began to fall. "England." Muttered Talitha as she turned off her balcony and back into the comforts of her room.  
  
"All alone, I don't think." Muttered a voice from the shadows.  
  
Talitha closed the drapes on the balcony and turned to face her sister in her room. Talitha jumped in shock. "Jesus, Faith, you gave me a heart attack." She bent over catching her breath.  
  
Faith raised her eyebrow and shook her head. "Talitha get to bed, it's nearly midnight." Talitha smirked and commented, her eyes flashing:  
  
"The witching hour." She laughed as Faith rolled her eyes again and left the room. Talitha removed her robe and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Golden blonde hair, dark blue eyes, normal height, not fat, but not a stick insect. Talitha suddenly noticed her knees looked extremly knobbly. She pulled her knightie down in attempt to cover them, but they still stuck out.  
  
Talitha pulled a nasty face and looked at her homework spread out on the desk. "Himaneia." She whispered and her pen began to write on it's own. She yawned once then collapsed on the bed, pulling the sheets over her head.  
  
-*-  
  
Ok people this is Tamashii's chapter. Tamashii is in control of Talitha and Faith is done By Redaura. She will post that next chapter. We wanna know what ya all think of our lil piece of worky here, so please pretty please review! 


	2. Chapter 2: Smoke

(Redaura's Chapter ;) Please review! :) Tam's chapter next... )

Pandie: thank you! Our first fav! :) And I reviewed! I'll read the next chapter when I get time...

Dolphin: What did you expect? ;)

Smoke

In the room beside Talitha's Faith stared at her mirror. She had the same features as her sister. Blonde hair, similar eyes that where greener and medium height. But she lacked something that Talitha had, that glow. _And her beauty_ Faith thought wryly. She was jealous of her sister for a brief moment, then suppressed it in guilt. _You wouldn't want her to have to go around looking like you now would you?_

She bent her head to her task. Why oh why had she taken history? Oh yes, it was that or maths... Maths was certainly looking good. No long essays on Elizabethan Society for one thing! The fact that Faith could barely count straight was a minor detail. 

Her fingers started to cramp as she laboriously stamped them away at the unresponsive keys. She muttered under her breath, about the world in general. 

At the rate this essay was going it was Talitha who would have the joy of waking her up with a smug expression and the 'I-told-you-not-to-stay-up-so-late'. She twisted her lips. If that had to happen no one would be moving in the morning. 

Hurrah for big brothers.

She laughed, secure in her family. 

But the damn essay was still here. She looked around her mix and matched room. No respite there.

Faith growled, and pulled the orange and cream duvet over her head. She grunted what was meant to be "Switch the damn light off," but sounded more like feeding time at the zoo. 

A laugh was sounded as the cover was cruelly ripped away from her. She sat bolt upright and screamed "Aidan! You bastard!" She grabbed a pillow and threw it at him. To her satisfaction it hit him squarely in the face. Her smug smile was hidden by the same pillow rebounding off him and into her. 

"Well, it woke you up!" Aidan said cheerfully. "Stay up!"

Faith rolled back into bed. _Just five minutes..._

Fifteen minutes later she and Talitha where running around trying to use the bathroom, grab all their stuff and out of the door in time for school. 

Flame watched from the convenient undergrowth, being careful of the hired help. It was strange to see the Nightworld witches, ingrained with vermin as family. It was disgusting. The way they acted like- like _sisters_. The witch and the vermin. It rolled his stomach and made him feel... unclean. And to top it off at least the female 'witch' was a Daybreaker. It meant that the male witch was probably as well. Not to mention the vermin. 

No wonder they where under an assassination hit. 

Flame grinned savagely. Their stupidity was his gain. Money, fun and an outing. Nothing better.

Faith smiled as she entered the sixth form building. Being late it was almost empty. Only the normal suspects where hanging around on the comfy seats, sprawling everywhere. They glanced once at her as she entered and then went back to their conversations. 

She made it up the back stairs, having decided to skive art to find her group of friends. It a buggar that they weren't there. With a sigh she set off to find them, leaving her stuff on top of lockers. It wasn't like this to school to actually have enough lockers for the mere two hundred sixth form students to use. Oh no. 

Hopefully they'd still be there when she got back. 

Then she set off down the field, heading for 'Lovers Lane', ironically passing by the old, stone church. Rotting benches stood vigil along the tarmac, and cigarette butt ends littered the place liberally. Being sixteen and 'allowed' to smoke, just not site meant each sixth form student that felt the need stood just off the school grounds. 

They had been arrested on charge of a 'bad influence'. 

She shivered, it was bloody freezing to put it mildly. She wrapped her jacket around her frame and kept on walking. The gang always had to go to the most outlandish places just to have a fag. Most of the time it wasn't a fag, it was a joint. Not that the teachers ever noticed the stoned students, or the 'hangover'. 

Faith went through the kissing gates and swore. 

They weren't_ here_ either! She might as well have gone to art.

__

Why don't I try down at the river? Faith frowned, puzzled. Where had that thought come from? They didn't normally go down at the river in winter, having (tragically, from the smokers point of view) lost fags in a spate flood. 

But it was worth a try. She didn't have a clue of where else they would be. 

Walking through the town centre at ten in the morning was erriy too. It wasn't normally this deserted. People where normally going about their mundane businesses, always in a rush, always needing to be somewhere else. 

Bare pavements and dark shops met Faiths eyes. She shrugged. Maybe _everyone _had gone to the river. 

At the river, the grey stones glinted or lay there in their mattness, untouched and alone. No one was here... except she could feel the hairs on the back of her neck raise. Like someone was watching her. Was this a wild goose chase? Hide from Faith day? 

She turned and screamed as she was grabbed. One short burst of terror. Then nothing as the rolling waves of blackness came in. They hit her, crushing her mind, and forcing her to fall unconscious into arms...

Flame smirked down at the vermin in his arms. It had been so damn easy. 

The 'witches' would come for the vermin. The 'witches' would see the vermin die. Then they'd die. 

Simple plans really made Flames day. There was nothing simple about the torture he was planning though…


	3. Chapter 3: Whores and Dragons

Hehehe. Well 3 reviews all mi amiga, Redaura! But we shall see! mawahhaha! *evil laugh*  
  
Dolphin: I hsould hope mine will be excellent! Her's will be just good! Mine *evil laugh*  
  
(god I am feeling evil today)  
  
Jenni NW: A nice one.  
  
Pandie: I am sure she would thank you but I am doing the shout outs so I'll thank yuou on her behalf! Enjoy my chappie!  
  
Dragons and Whores  
  
Jake closed his eyes. The girl was beautiful. Her golden hair hung over her shoulder and halfway down her back. Her eyes stared blankly up at him, there blue reminded him of the sea. Her thin body was naked, all it's secrets exposed in the morning light. She was ice white, matching the red that stained her neck.  
  
Jake smiled. It had been a while since killing a woman. He mainly led himself down the mobster types, but now he had an assignment on a little girl, just15. A night worlder from a human house. He spat with disgust. The spit landed on the girl's lifeless face.  
  
He stared down at the young whore once more before walking off into the shadows to find out what his partner was up to. Knowing him going straight into the kill and not enjoying his prey. Flame didn't know how to live.  
  
-*-  
  
Talitha strolled lazily into school. The hustling crowds beat into her. Lucky Faith not having to wear uniform. The jumper had itched so much that Talitha had refused to wear it anymore. Her shirt, blue stripped like a convicts hung like a sack over her body, whereas her pleated skirt was long enough to cover her knees. Like all the other girls she had rolled it up half way up her thigh.  
  
"Alright mate?" A slurred voice asked coming up behind her. Talitha turned to see Hazel, Harry and Arthur all coming up behind her talking and laughing. Hazel matched her name with hazel eyes and hair, beautiful and deadly. A daybreaker assassin and a vampire.  
  
Harry was a homosexual vampire. Made at 16, no one knew how old he was and he never told anyone. He was warm and friendly, willing to look after anyone in danger. Arthur was completely different from all of them. He had raven black hair, a panther shifter, with endless black eyes and slightly tanned skin, he was the most beautiful person she had ever met, including Nicas, who was exceptional.  
  
Talitha hugged Hazel and Harry. Arthur wasn't the hugging type. "Err, Maths first for me and Harry, you to got English. Enjoy the dragon. We'll leave you to it, Me and Harry got a closet to visit." Talitha laughed, Hazel was always trying it on with Harry but Harry was having no of it. Hazel was constantly making obscene jokes and Harry was constantly trying to shut her up.  
  
Talitha was still laughing as she turned to Arthur. He was just looking down at her in amusement. "Well as she said English. Good thing for us she memorised our timetable as well as hers." She said to the unemotional Arthur who nodded and stalked off down the corridor, in the predatorily way.  
  
The entered the classroom to fine the dragon already in there. She was a shifter and according to Arthur a reptile of some kind. Hazel and Talitha always asserted it was a dragon, but the boys just called them silly. "I hope you have all done your homework." The dragon said her voice full of menace.  
  
"All of you come up to the front when your name is called and put it on my desk." Talitha remembered back to the night before and looked in her bag to fine the neat pile of paper that her favourite 'does all your homework in minutes' spell had done for her last night. Scanning through the paper she found the homework.  
  
"Oh no." She whispered horror playing evident through her face. The pen had run out of ink halfway through the piece and the homework was left half done. "Shit." She swore, closing her eyes at the reality she did not want to face.  
  
"Arthur?" The dragons voice echoed throughout the classroom. Arthur never did homework. It was a fact. He never got in trouble for it. Even Dragon didn't touch him.  
  
"I was busy last night miss. Huntin' an' all." He slurred. To Talitha it sounded mildly like a threat. Not bad she thought to herself, a lump forming in her throat. If Aidan found out that she had been using a spell to do homework she was as good as dead, and Dragon would take every pain to tell him in all the details. It was evident from the piece as their were scratch marks where the pen had continued to write with no ink.  
  
"Talitha?" The dragon said with relish.  
  
"She was with me last night, miss Smith. It's my fault." Arthur said calmly leaning back in his seat. The ice rose in Dragons eyes, but she knew she was beaten. She turned to the remainder of the class and continued reading out names.  
  
"Why did you do that?" Talitha asked him, whispering conspiratorially. He looked at her, leaning back in his chair. Moving his hand up beside her face, he brushed her hair away from her face. Looking into her eyes, he smiled and turned back to the class, which had just begun.  
  
"Talitha turn to the front now. Look here, little girl, what makes you think your so much different from everyone else? Better than everyone that you don't have to do you homework, you don't have to pay attention. Everyone else does." The dragon stared at her, enjoying the pain playing on Talitha's face.  
  
The dragon knew that Talitha was a daybreaker and consequently did not believe anyone was better than anyone else. "I suggest you think about it miss Talitha"  
  
Talitha felt the blood rush to her cheeks. She felt her heart throb in her chest and a sudden desire to kill the shifter was dashing through her. A spell flickered into her mind, and Talitha knew to keep her self in this school, she had to get out of that classroom. Slamming her chair behind her she grabbed her bag and stormed out of the classroom.  
  
Out of the door, she collapsed, leaning on lockers which dug into her back. Swearing and trying to distract the tears from her eyes, Talitha moved away from the classroom. She had to go somewhere to while away an hour until second period, Drama. With Hazel where she could rant all she wanted. Where could she go?  
  
-*-  
  
Hola mi amigas! Now how are we today? DO we want more of this lil ole story, or do we want to make lil tips or hints? Please feel free to drop them in the box below called 'Submit Reviews'. I like that box! 


	4. Chapter 4: In the Dark

****

In the Dark

Just out of reach it swirled, mocking and condescending. It was something she had always looked for, something she'd always wanted, and like the stars that shone and glittered from their velveteen jewellery box lining, they where to expensive for her, Faith. The name seemed to bring focus back to her, a pinnacle to surround and gather. 

__

My name is Faith Karmen. Not a bad start. She had a name. _I'm seventeen years old. My birthdays on the twenty-fifth of June._ In five days time. She knew today's date... She became aware of her body parts, still distant and remote they where, but she knew they where hers, even if she couldn't move them. She could recall their names too.

But where did name recall leave her? In the dark, somewhere she had never been before. Alone in the night. And she couldn't move.

Panic surged through her, swiping away what had been comforting warmth into monster filled danger. She screamed in her mind, and struggled. Gasping, her eyes opened to see nothing, not an inch in front of her. She might as well have stayed asleep if she had wanted to see. She moved her hands, or tried to move her hands, to move them around in front of her face to test the lack of light, but her hands wouldn't move. Held up, above where her body was lying.

Panic churned in her stomach again, and she tugged futily at her bonds, trying to get free. What she would do when she got free, she didn't know, but she wouldn't be held there. 

"There's no point in struggling," a deep male voice commented, clearly amused. "You've been tied up with bast."

The voice to Faith was elemental, and could have been liquid, if it hadn't have reminded her of ice. Ice in a glacier, cold water that had been frozen for centuries out of time. It drew images of harshly frosted white hair, pale skin and high cheekbones. Probably a lithe, tall and thin build as well. 

"Bast?" was what she said, despite all of the musing going on. Her voice came out dry and cracked. She'd always needed water to drink, twenty-four seven. It rose a terrifying thought. She didn't know how long she'd been kept here. She could be eighteen and not know it. And gods, what would happen to Talitha and Aiden? Surely they'd miss her. If they did miss her was that a good thing…?

"Made of wood. To hold vampires."

Faith didn't know how to answer. Did she humour the crazy who had her tied up, with wooden rope? Or did she point out the little flaw in his reality. She settled on "huh?" The fear pounding her heart, making her senses hyper alert. She wanted to run away... and to do that she needed to free. 

"Yes, that is a problem isn't it?"

How…? Faith screamed as she felt air stir by her face, and to her shame tears started building in her eyes. There was a violent sound, harsh, and the flare of a match, the light stabbing into Faiths eyes, even though she craved light. 

"Because I'm not going to let you go." The speaker was almost as Faith had imagined him to be. Beautiful, lithe, tall, but his hair was golden blonde, his eyes a greeny, aquatic blue, that could deceive one into thinking of warm, sun soaked seas, if it weren't for the furry and hate just under the surface. _A rip tide?_ Faith whimpered as the man drew up closer. 

"Don't you want to know why?"

* 

Jake entered the hut with due caution. For some reason Flame had felt it necessary to keep their 'guest' in the dark. "Started without me?" he asked dryly._ Flame_, he thought, _when will you learn?_

"Yep!" Flame answered, not showing the surprise or irritation he felt at Jake just _appearing_. He laughed as the vermin squeaked pathetically. "She truly doesn't know." He added cheerfully. 

"About the Nightworld?"

"Or witches. They're really stupid aren't they?" It was a rhetorical question, he was expecting the same answer that he would give. Jake nodded in the background. 

"So, it's nice that you got a rat to play with. But did you get the target?"

"This is the targets _sister_. The target will come."

"Leave Tai alone!" Faith cried out, more tears streaming from her eyes as her captors just laughed. The blonde chucked her under the chin, his touch sending shivers of what Faith told herself was revulsion. The sick bastard… he had the beauty of a summer God, but inside he was ugly and cruel. 

Jake shuck his head, amused at the rats' definition of his partner. She wasn't far wrong. "Don't you know how to kill cleanly?" 

Flame raised his eyebrows. "Where's the fun in that?"

"They joy of the hunt."

"This is the joy of the kill."

"Making a little girl cry?" Jake raised his eyebrow pointedly. "Oh bravo."

"She's vermin."

"And nothing to do with the job."

"She is. The target is looking for her." Flame's voice was a monotone of false patience.

"You could have taken the target. We are not getting paid for that one." Jake's voice was just ice. And anger.

"And don't you know how to have fun?"

"And don't you know who to do a professional kill?"

Faith shuddered as the two men glared at each other, standing off. She swallowed and wished she could truly disappear into the wood where they'd never see her again. And hopefully forget about her. 

"Why did I agree to this? You-" The one with hair of burnished red in the single match light that was still burning? Faith felt tears fill up her eyes again. She didn't understand. Why would someone want to kill her sister?

"Because the money was worth putting with your worthless ass!" The blond interjected, anger dripping off his whole frame. _Like an ice storm, that freezes a whole country because it destroyed the lines. _Faith felt dazed, she knew that both of the vampires- _where did that come from? Vampires?_ She was snapped out of her thoughts as a body flew over her, and into the wall. It was the blonde one. The other was glaring in the wake, watching as splinters littered the area, including Faith like a diseased Christmas tree dropping all it's sharp needles at once. _Serves the bastard right._ Faith thought.

Flame shot up. _What did you just say? _He growled at the human. For some reason he could hear every thought in her little mind clearly. From the look on her face she didn't know she was doing it. He dismissed her and returned to his scrap with his 'working partner'. _Makes us sound like prize crack whores._ Flame made sure that thought was very private, but still the human heard it! What was it with her- it! They couldn't do telepathy, they just didn't have it in them- He ducked as Jake drew in for another go at him. 

Flame was on his feet in a millisecond, poised, alert and exhilarated. "Surely a Fourth Fighter can do better than that, _Jake_."

From opposite ends of the old wooden hut they stood, glaring at each other. Jake was glaring in disgust. "Kill you bait Flame and _I'll _get the target." And he was gone. The light shuddered as he left. 

__

They move so fast, and they think I'm less than they are. Flame was seemingly trying to cremate Jake with looks alone, or the space where he had been. _And 'Jake' left me all alone with a pissed off Flame._ Really not good. Her heart started to drive useless adrenaline around her body again as those murderous eyes where turned to her.

"That spoiled the surprise." Flame commented, still boiling. It was petrifying. Even if she'd been free to run, she couldn't have managed to make her limbs work. _Please…_Tears where trickling down her tight cheeks, ironically warm and wet, but brimey. They didn't earn her any pity. He liked her pain. Faith felt sick to her stomach. For the first time in her life she wished she where truly, blissfully dead. 

"But that would spoil the fun." He wasn't acting cheerful. It was unnerving him on how well he could receive the vermin's telepathic thoughts. There where a million and one things he could do to the rat, and half of them didn't even involve a sharp edge... But right now he was hungry, and Jake's rant on control and efficiency... while not getting to him, was irritating. Who was Jake to know anyway? He hadn't had to grow up bottom of the pile on an enclave.

Snarling at the memory he flashed his fangs at the human. To his satisfaction it scared her more, made her cry harder, and made her body shake with the apprehension and horror. He moved faster than her eyes could possibly see, and was swiftly over her body and his fangs where tearing effortlessly into her veins. He could have terrorised her a bit more, but making her wet herself from fright could come later. Much later. The rich intoxicating blood ran into his mouth, and was as warm as her body underneath him. It was so good, feeding on free-range humans. It was almost all he lived for.

He could sense the humans mind now, beyond his own shielding. That was abnormal. He had incredibly strong shielding around his mind. _Her_ mind… it was like a glass crystal of reflected light, slowed so he could see every shade in the rainbow. The colours where almost edible. He could taste them on his tongue. Just a dark spot here and there from… watching to many movies?

He had an image forced on him, he was the girl, Faith Karmen and she was sitting with her sister, hiding behind a cushion and peering out from under Talitha's arm that she was clutching in place.

Flame had to shake himself mentally. Way to close. What the hell was happening? So it was pretty pathetic. He could shield better than that! He ruthlessly forced her mind away, and started to slam his own shield down, but in the view of how fast her mind was coming back… it was as slow as a creaky portcullis in a bad movie… _Who'd have thought that vermin could mind mesh so well?_ This Faith couldn't be an ordinary vermin. Maybe- 

He cried out as the ground was pulled from under his feet and he was pushed head on into her mind.

__

I don't want to be here! Was his reaction. It rode his tsunami waves of fear that was building in his stomach.

__

Where is here? What's happening? What's that? 

He ignored the way her mind voice sounded and started looking for the way out. The only thing he could see for miles around was her. Her and her crystal mind. _Crystal like glass…_ And a dazzling crack of silver, humming like a soul chord on a possessed guitar. 

_That is not there!_

__

Then it's a hallucination? Her mind was tart…and hurt.

Oh get over it, he thought, you're only a human.

__

Well thanks! You're only a bastard!

So glad you noticed!

How the hell do we get out?

There is not we!

Agreed!

Like the pop of a joint bursting they where two bodies twisting and kicking at each other, cumbersome and heavy.

"Get off me!"

"I'll do what I want." Flame responded harshly. He glared down at her, and felt his eyes walk down her cheeks, to her chin, and down to where blood was trickling enticingly down her neck, blond hair in disarray around her, like a halo that had hit the ground at high speed. To his dismay light seemed to be calling him to her… beneath her body was a beautiful crystal mind. Surely crystals shattered easily… he didn't… he couldn't…

In one unseeable move Flame was running out of the door, leaving it all behind. Everything. 

Behind him, Faith stared up at the ceiling, eyes dry and burning with the need to cry. _Cry for me with parched eyes… I only know what to know what true sadness is… blue…_ it was a song from something that had sprung unbidden to mind. Maybe if she tried to remember the rest of the song, instead of how a vampire had bitten her, messed her mind up and ran away from her… afraid? Maybe she was Faith's blond stunt double from Buffy. Faith started to giggle. The Vampire Slayer Faith would have escaped by now, as would Buffy. Buffy to save people, probably her family… her little sister…

"Talitha!" Jake was going to kill her. Faith started to wriggle free of her bounds, but to no avail. Tears slid free, and she sobbed helplessly for everything that had happened to her in the last few moments of her life. And not most of all because although it was more likely to be Talitha, her sister dying in the next hour or so, all Faith could think about was Flame… and how he'd ran away. 

"Sick bitch." She told herself as she shut her eyes against more tears. "Stupid bitch!" Why would he want to stay with her anyway? Why would she want her would be torturer and killer to stay with her? Just because he managed to make you imagine he short-circuited himself into your mind?

Dizziness and a rolling sickness took over her, and eventually, although she felt like she never, ever would again in her life, she slept, cramped and sore on the ground of some building.

* 

So it seems I'm totally obvious when it comes to who are sm's. Ah well. Is Flame gonna stop running to accept? What is Jake doing? And where is Tali? Well, you'll have to wait for Tai to get that one out. ;)

* 

Anaita Redfern –*blush* Thank you! Well here IS more! AND the delay was due to ffn. I couldn't log in to post. Honest! Not own laziness... ;) and wohoooo! Look at that everyone! She begged! ;)

Dolphin – I thank you on Tai's behalf. ;). I haven't managed to find out if Author fancies her, and the girl is just a dead girl. Thanks for the review! :) hope this isn't to much of a disappointment. 

*

The song that Faith was thinking of is 'The Real Folk Blues' off the anime 'Cowboy Bebop'.


	5. Chapter 5: Monkeys do your Worst

Airlia de lioncourt: Flame is just plain evil. So is Jake now I think about it.. Oh well. Anyways we shall see where this all leads ( I have not a blind clue). Go to bed.  
  
Monkeys do your worst  
  
Talitha slammed open the bogs door. The bogs were cold and smelled of something worse than shit. She was in a bad mood, for apparently no reason. She just was. She kicked a door so hard it fell off it's hinges, which was not really surprising because the doors were made of shit anyway. She saw a little first year come into the toilets staring at Talitha. The girl darted into a cubicle and locked the door quickly.  
  
Talitha shook her head. Why was she so mad? Why on earth did she want to kill something? Sighing heavily she decided home would be the best place. Cuddling up to Aidan watching Die Hard again, just what she needed.  
  
Talitha pulled the bogs door open and out into the corridor. Marching along a corridor, the phase, no one will notice you if you seem busy, came to mind and she tried to walk as if she had a purpose. Leaving the school ground was remarkably easy. No one noticed as the year ten just idly walked out into the street and away from the prison.  
  
Well almost no one. ~Where we off to then little Talitha?~ Harry asked as she left the school ground. She tunred slightly, but enough to see him looking out from one of the maths buildings. She waved at him and headed off down the street to freedom. ~Your heading the wrong way~ He dropped helpful hints on how to get back to school and back to the classroom in her head, but she ignored him.  
  
{Monkeys dude,} She thought loudly, so he could hear her, {Do your worst, I am going home. See you tomorrow.} At this Harry gave up and she felt him mentally leave her mind. Probably to tell Hazel that she was bunking in the middle of English, in the middle of the dragons lesson and she was probably going to be suspended because of it.  
  
Oh well. She thought and walked back into her house.  
  
-*-  
  
On arriving she found the house eerily quiet. Walking through the kitchen she found her mother. Her mother was quiet and peaceful, as the knife through her heart was sharp an deadly. Talitha stopped. She stopped moving she stopped breathing and she stopped.  
  
Tears refused to fall. She so wanted to cry. She wanted to let it all out, but she couldn't. No tears fell. No pain. She wanted to be in pain. But she felt nothing. She wanted to fell fear. Nothing. Nothing.  
  
-*-  
  
Jake watched the girl as she found her mother. She didn't scream or run. In fact she did nothing. The witch was mute. He watched her fall, placidly to the floor, creating ripples in the blood which coated the floor like a gloss.  
  
He moved forward and touched her to pick her up. No, a breath whispered to him, as she recognised the connection. Soulmates. He picked his knife up from the woman's heart. Better to deal with this sooner than later, he thought and plunged the knife into the soft flesh.  
  
-*-  
  
Arthur carried Talitha's bag into the corridor where he stuffed it in his locker. He turned to see Harry and Hazel coming towards him. They looked as worried as he expected them to be. "Something's happened to Talitha." Hazel said her voice wavering. Harry looked equally scared.  
  
"Me and Harry go to Talitha's house. You stay here, she might come back." Arthur ordered. Harry nodded as Hazel commented on something like, 'it's like feminism never happened.' The males left Hazel in the school as they walked down the road, where Talitha had been only half an hour before.  
  
-*-  
  
Who wants more? Come on! Please? Pretty weatty woudy please? Review? It's not really that much to ask is it? 


	6. Chapter 6: Rain

****

Rain

Above him in the sky clouds started to solidify. A convertible was possibly not the best car for the English climate, but he'd been bought one, and even if he sometimes felt like he was driving around a fish tank full of water due to the slightly damp interior of his car, he loved it anyway. It was a guy thing. Aiden had many 'guy things' that confused his sisters. What they didn't realise was it was retaliation to being the only male that ever slept one night a month in a house full of women. Even the cats where female. 

Not that it mattered to much, he mused as he smoothly slid his car into the drive and scrabbling to get it covered before the rain really came. He loved his sisters. And say if Talitha were male, well that would ruin his popularity. Being the only male witch in town had its advantages. He never wanted for a date. 

It seemed to bother Faith. She didn't know about the Nightworld. And Aiden planed to keep it that way. She was as safe as a human could be. Maybe he should tell her, it might help her understand that Aiden and Talitha didn't _care_ that she wasn't their blood sister, why they didn't tell anyone where they went out on Wiccan Festivals. That they weren't ignoring her, or not wanting her, just that… they loved her and wanted her safe.

Rain started falling in earnest, drawing Aiden out of his revere. He loved natural weather, but the heavy drops of tainted water falling through the car fumes where depressing. He could remember the time he had spent in the country. His sister could not. Slowly he sauntered to the house. It was a shadowed shape against the gun grey of the sky. For late morning, closing to afternoon it was dark. Almost like a premonition. 

__

Something is wrong. He precisely hung his jacket in the cupboard, leaving the hall and entrance bare and stylish except for pools of water that had dripped off him. Something bad had happened. Trance like he extended his senses. 

No one was in the house. He couldn't sense any other spells other than ones that he and Talitha had muttered, their vibes dusty and faint. 

He was in the kitchen, not remembering how he'd got there. _Always follow your instincts._ He pulled air raggedly into his lungs and gagged. He knew that smell. Blood. 

He could see it now, seeping round the edges of the modern, French polished table, that matched the cupboards was blood. Hidden behind the chair was his foster mother. The blood that surrounded her was sticky, starting to blacken and brown marring the perfect redness of it. Aiden wiped the blood off his fingers dispassionately. He hadn't been that enamoured with his foster parents. He stood up from his crouch by the body and kicked the chair across the designed kitchen.

"SHIT!" 

They hadn't been much, but they had been his. Now he wasn't concentrating water dripped down his face and into his eyes. 

He examined the body again. A deep, hacked stab wound to the heart. It explained the blood. In the blood where the mark where he had kicked the chair through it. Not good. But there where other marks...

"Have you seen Talitha." 

Aiden whirled, alarmed and suddenly furious that he'd allowed someone to sneak up on him. It was a fellow Daybreaker. 

"Oh." Arthur looked coolly down at the dead body. "Did you do that?"

Aiden gritted his teeth as he faced the shifter. "No!"

Arthur regarded the body, his nostrils flaring as they scented the air. "There's been a vampire here. And Talitha was here. I think."

"You only think?" 

"The blood." Arthur glared, "I can't smell anything much under the blood." 

"Isn't Talitha at school?" Dread started to stretch his stomach. 

"No. She cut. Hazel sensed something bad."

Aiden stared, horror washing through his eyes. He tried to breath shallowly. "Any ideas?" 

"We had hoped she was here."

"Then lets go and look for her!" Harry narrowed his green eyes, "There's no use just standing here!"

*

It was just typical. Only one NW club in the whole of town. Only on place where he could get liqueur strong enough to send him into Forget-it-All Land.And the barmaid was threatening not to give him anymore. Stupid witch. Just a tendril of thought, and a brutal twist of his mind later, and she wasn't going to argue with anyone again. As he downed another bottle, and smashed it off the bar he turned and snapped her neck. The drooling was getting on his nerves.

Women, he had not one use for women. Very few women could fight, and the rest where weak. Weak equalled food and spot in Flames very short book on ethics. It was more a leaflet. That meant he could just leave her there, and Jake would sort it. He'd always been the swot.

He downed another bottle, his mind starting to push the alcohol aside. But this time that was what was needed. Why had Jake 'insisted' that Flame accompany him? He downed yet another bottle of pure fireproof and lost the thread. 

What was it about being blonde? Most Redferns where blonde, Flame was blonde, but he, Flame thought angrily was most assuredly NOT a Redfern. Nope, he could assure them. He did not care at all that Jake would kill all of them. And no, he wasn't being a coward. Just that if he was there that spell would take effect. That was it, Flame decided. He choked down another bottle, dizziness starting to take him.

He stood tall and stretched, before glugging more booze down. In the corner of his eye he saw movement. Witches. Three. They didn't seem happy. But then, who was? 

*

Bad Flame. Awww. So, review those who want more.


	7. Chapter 7: Life is only a Suspension of ...

Airlia de Lioncourt: Dude sorry it slipped out.  
  
PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!  
  
Life is only a suspension of Death  
  
Jake left his soulmate collapsed in the cave, her eyes firmly shut against the cold winters freeze. She was collapsed on the floor anyway, tied to a wooden pole with metal handcuffs. No way was that bitch leaving. Soulmates were just pests, like women in general.  
  
Umm there was a disturbance. ~Flame?~  
  
~ You know I really don't like you.~ Flame's reply was instant.  
  
~I noticed, however why are you not with the girl?~  
  
~She's alright in the hut. I needed a drink.~  
  
~Evidently. Well while you are gorging your insides out, I would like to inform you your charge is being rescued by a vampire. And he's as mad as hell.~ Flame's reply was unintelligible, something that could have been interpreted as 'Fucking know it all'.  
  
Jake broke their connection as he headed to the hut where the girl was being kept. In the hut.  
  
-*-  
  
Harry pulled Faith to her feet, which she promptly fell over again. He sighed and chucked her carelessly over his shoulder.  
  
Women.  
  
Humans.  
  
~Oi, Aidan? We got Faith here. She's muttering some shit. Where the hell are you?~  
  
"Right behind you."  
  
Harry turned to see Aidan and Arthur standing next to each other, looking distinctly pissed. In both senses of the word. "Flame, sparks, vampires, Talitha, Assassins." Faith murmured frantically.  
  
"Put her down Harry." Harry dropped her on the floor and endured the raised eyebrow of Aidan. Aidan lent over his sister. She had dirt over her face and tears stained her face.  
  
"What happened?" He asked carefully pulling hair out of her face. Her eyes focused on him, and she seemed barely for a second, to be smiling. Her eyes became unfocused and she drifted now talking with a distracted air in proper sentances.  
  
"Flame happened. He, he came, when I was down by the river. Took me here. Bait, I was bait."  
  
"Bait for who?"  
  
"He's not human you know."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Flame. The other one. The other. He took Talitha. Talitha gone bye bye. Oh. I like her."  
  
"Aidan stay here with Faith, look out for this Flame. Harry let's go and look for Talitha. Keep trying that mental contact Harry. " Aidan raised his eyes, full of astonishment. "Look I don't give a fuck about that sister of yours; she's safe and she's human. She means little to me. It's her sister I care about, alright? Don't you two have a witch teacher? Nicas? Try contacting him, he knows a lot about the night world. "  
  
-*-  
  
From high up in the tree, Jake looked down at the group below. The girl. She disturbed Flame, Better to kill her soon. Soon. The group left as the shifter had ordered. There was something about the way her said Talitha's name that gave Jake a warning sign. Time would tell.  
  
Death, like fate, would out.  
  
And Jake would be there to pick up the pieces.  
  
-*-  
  
Talitha awoke to cold. It was cold. She was still sleepy. Her bed was hard. Did Aidan change her sheets to rock again? He hadn't done that in years, not after he had gone to see his handiwork and she was crying in a corner. No, it was all rock.  
  
She was in a cave. She couldn't move. The cave was small. Talitha was extraordinarily claustrophobic. Talitha was extraordinarily scared. Tears formed as she screamed, begging mentally for help. She screamed and screamed. Various voices came to her through her mind, but they weren't saving her, she was trapped, she wouldn't be allowed out.  
  
"Help." She sighed as her voice gave out and a quiet panic set in. Her mind emptied and all she thought of was, 'ten little witches went to Salem, one hung from a line then their were nine. Nine little witches went to Cauldron, one met a mate then there was eight."  
  
-*-  
  
Jake returned to the cave, he could here her chanting from inside. She was more petrified than if he had tortured her. She was ripping up her soul. Due to the connection his was going to.  
  
"Eight little witches accused of murder, one admitted guilt and went to heaven, then there was seven. Seven little witches chopping wood, one forgot the sticks and then there was six."  
  
Tears were chilled against her cheek, her eyes were big and blue, her hair golden and falling wildly against her face. He put her hand on his face, enduing her eyes to follow. They did and he saw pure emotions. Sparks flew slightly.  
  
Barely touching her mind with his, he saw all her memories gone. She had no past and no present. All she had was him.  
  
A grim smile passed his face. "It's alright, little Talitha. You remember me don't you. I am your soulmate, Jake. Hello."  
  
-*-  
  
REVIEW PLEASE! 


	8. Chapter 8: The Caterpiller from Wonderla...

*Very ashamed look* but! Better late than never hmm? 

Practical Magic: no worries. And thank you. Bastards are the best for interest.

Zabella: about time wasn't it?

Airlia: *evil grin* 

Sharmeem: nothing like a bribe… ;) 

The Caterpillar From Wonderland   
  
  
Jake was a fucking wanker. But he was right, which made it even worse. Flame left the he'd found and gone to search for the…vermin again. Only now she was surrounded more damn Daybreakers. They seemed to be crawling out of the woodwork.   
  
At least she'd stopped gibbering now he sighed.   
  
That something that had happened. Maybe it was the witches warding her, maybe it was him hallucinating. Either way, Faith Karmen was dying. And soon.  
  
Flame ignored the little sinking feeling in his stomach.  
  
*  
  
Faith almost screamed her frustration out loud. This! Coming from a year ten? "Look you jerk! Some psycho's just announced he's going to kill my sister! I'm not staying here!"  
  
Harry gave the human an amused glance. "And you where such a lot of help last time." He drawled.  
  
"I've got over the shock." Faith lied from between gritted teeth.  
  
"The only thing you will do if you come with us is die! Now STAY!" Harry roared, putting a telepathic punch behind it.   
  
Faith staggered a headache blossoming behind her temples. "Go fetch your own bone!" She snapped, though her head was now pounding. She staggered after Harry on reflex, having reached a stage of not thinking.  
  
Harry flung his arms to the sky. "I don't have time." He stated. "Stay out of the way. I'm not dying to save you."  
  
*  
  
The stone was cool on his sweaty palms. The deep purple of the stone seemed to fill his mind, his lungs and his soul as he breathed in, concentrating. He ignored the greasiness that was left on the polished surface from his fingers and tried again.   
  
"Blood of my blood.   
Sibling to me  
Where in this world you be?"  
  
A crap rhyme, and again, no answer to the spell. In a fit of frustrated rage Aiden flung the gem across the car, and had to sharply duck as it bounced into the back of his car. It left a scratch on his windscreen. Small and insignificant.   
  
But it meant that Talitha was not to be found on this plane due to unconsciousness or, Aidens' mind balked at the thought, death. He knew his little sister couldn't shield that well from a blood spell, and he hoped that another more powerful witch wasn't shielding her, for reasons unknown. Aiden was hoping for unconscious at this point.   
  
He held down the impulse to just try and slam his mind through the rain until he reached her, and gunned up his car. He'd just have to join in the manual search. He peeled his car out of the lot in a smooth movement of practised ease, his mind chanting a mantra at him. _Faster witch, find her faster!_  
  
*

Flame followed them lazily down the street, the air was damp and humid, and the little human was sweating. The Daybreaker was growing ever agitated with her, and it nearly came to blows. Flame would have been disappointed it the Daybreaker had killed his prey, but very amusing to see what the primary target would have done…

They'd looked all over town, under and over each flaming pavestone, and still no Talitha. Faith had been told that others where looking outside of town for her, and to shut up. It made her simmer. Thought, the way Harry walked had a lot in common with Flame… She shuddered, as a chill went up her spine, feeling the helplessness and the pain again… She shook her head violently, sighing as more five foot five blondes walked past. It was amazing how many blondes there where when you where looking for a short, blonde girl.   


There! Faith ran in the shop, not noting what it was. Talitha was there! She didn't even register Harry yelling at her to stop, reaching out to grab her. "Talitha!"

Her sisters head turned slowly, and Faith gasped at the bruises on her sisters head. Her heart constricted with guilt. "Talitha…" She said again, not seeing the grinning red haired man, sitting with her sister. She felt ice in her stomach at the disgusted look on Talithas face. 

"Who." Faith thought of the caterpillar in Wonderland, "are you?"  



	9. Chapter 9: Killing Tongues

Redaura did this one cos I deleted the other. I can't seem to write at the moment...... Sorry.

Practikalmagik: (can spell ur user name neh!!!) I feel sorry for Harry as well. They all such lovely people it just makes me so upset to see this stuff happening to poor Jake and Flame.

Sharmeen: Hockily dockily. Glad you like it thanks for your review.

Terriah: Sorry for delay. Here you go!

Pandie Katteken: Great to hear from you. Don't ya just hate real life? It gets in the way soo much. Thank you.

Killing Tongues

Talitha looked up at the strange vermin with an obscure stare. "What do you want filth?" She asked sneering slightly. She heard a gasp from the others behind the girl. "What do you not even know how to speak proper-" She cut herself off and looked at Jake. ~What?~

~Come Talitha let us leave here, the company is... unpleasureable. You agree?~ He asked touching her hand with his lips, causing more sparks than a kid's sparkler on bonfire night. She nodded not totally entranced with him. She turned to study the party once more as she left... what was going on?

~FLAME! WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR BRAT DOING BOTHERING MY BRAT?~ Jake asked calmly as they made the way to his car. The sister was still following and Talitha was still wandering about her. 

He brushed her face away from her sister with his caress before kissing her softly on the lips and opening his mind to the connection. ~I love you~ He told her wondering how to kill her sister. Talitha giggled slightly before buckling her seat belt. ~Just a sec honey.~ 

He got up and jumped out the car heading round it to where Faith was shouting something desperate at her sister. He let the others converge round Talitha talking to her as he dragged the sister away. "You wanna know what's happened to your sister?" He asked looking deep into her eyes and brushing away a strand of hair. "OK first you have to calm down and I'll tell you."

-*-

Talitha was confused. Everyone was talking about how evil the guy she was going with was but Jake wasn't evil. Sure he'd done some bad things but he wasn't evil! Not really. "Do I know you?" She asked the one who was closest and shouting at her hardest. His expression blanked and he swallowed hard. Her comment has silenced the whole of them before the one she had spoken to asked.

"Don't you know us? None of us?" She shook her head in bewilderment. Should she? "I'm Arthur. I'm a shifter and we have been friends for almost.. well years. And that's Harry." She shook her head blankly these names meant nothing to her. 

"I can't remember anyone. I was alone. It was dark. Very dark and very alone. Then Jake came everything was ok." She said noting how dry it was to herself. Fuck it. "I am happy why can't you just except that?"  


"Because he wants to kill you. He's been hired to kill you." She let out a burst of laughter. 

"No. He hasn't. I can see into his mind. I know everything about him. He may be an assassin but only to vermin." She said smiling sweetly and amused. But it left the others in silence. A cold silence... What had she said?

"Talitha. You don't believe that humans are vermin do you?" The one named Harry asked in a cold kind of I'm-gonna-kill-you-kind-of-way. She shrank back from him scared at his cold nature that had suddenly turned from amazed and frustrated to cold, heartless anger. 

She held no reply to his words. Her mouth opened and shut like a fish. 

The sound cam before the feeling. A cold hurtful sound of resonating veracity. The anger behind it was pure and the strength used was refined enough to cause maxim pain and tears. Slap. 

Talitha hit the back of the car with a thud, her body shaken, her left cheek stinging painfully. Tears began rolling down her face and she choked slightly. 

She sniffed and pulled herself back to face him, but the tears were still coming and the face was bright pink. The composure was gone and pure emotions of fear and distrust were residing deep within her. She gasped for breath and let out a deep felt sob. 

Bang.

-*-

OK OK that was short. REVIEW AND REDAURA WILL GIVE YOU A LOVELY LONG CHAPTER!


	10. Chapter 10: The Silence Roars

Here's my nice long chapter, that I didn't realise I was going to write. Meh. This was written with guidance from Tai. *coughs* elephants *coughs*

****

Practikalmagik: as promised. Here it is. And you should always check ffn, you never know whats going to pop up… *pointed look* ;) I think flame can manage a warm I'm-going-to-kill-u-luk but is a specialised skill. ^_~

****

Sharmeen: it's four pages. Well, almost. ^_^;; thank you. 

Ladies and Lurkers, I give you, the long last chapter. *bows and gestures*

-*-

****

The Silence Roars.

-*-

"Hey!" Faith screamed at Arthur. "Don't you dare HIT HER!" Her voice cracked and Arthur turned to glare at the alley she was still running out of when-

Bang. 

The noise echoed in the ally. Pain flared in her shoulder, blood splashing her face. The force of the shot knocked her off her feet, and she sat stupidly staring at her shoulder. Tears sprang to her eyes just from the sight, not actually feeling it yet. 

Time seemed to freeze, the stared at the immaculate leather shoes, her eyes moving up well muscled black clad legs to where they disappeared beneath a leather coat, all of which was plainly of the finest quality. She caught sight of the gun and her heart seemed to jump in her chest. She was strangely detached, and vaguely hopeful that Harry at least wouldn't hit Talitha too much, and that he wouldn't act so out of character for him, as he had been doing-

A black shadow jumped in between her and the gun, and Faiths heart gave a painful lurch. She wasn't dead. Yet. She stumbled to her feet, her right hand cold, making the blood flowing from her shoulder hot. She lurched backwards, wanting to help the cat, but weak… _human_. Jake had the panther in a headlock, sitting on its back, about to crush its sleek, hissing head with his hands, the gun gone for the moment.

Dimly she considered running, or at least removing herself from the alley, but again far faster than her eye could see another shadow ripped at Jake's hold, freeing the panther for another attack. Harry… Faith could feel her vision going screwy, as dots and stars started to dance in front of the way she was viewing the world. Nausea set in, and she dry retched, not being able to take her eyes off the writhing ball of movement that was the fight between Jake and the others. Common sense had long abandoned her, her body felt heavy and the effort of trekking out of the alley was too much… She sat down again, slipping minutely on the blood into a settled position. 

A body was flung into the wall beside her, and it made her giggle, then gag. She squeaked a very girlie squeak as she was hauled to her feet, then slung over a shoulder. She blacked out to the sight of paving stones jiggling in her sight.

-*-

Flame received Jake's message and laughed. ~Can't control them both at once?~

~Not when they're vertical.~ The reply snapped back, only Jack was reoccupied. 

~Fighting with out me? I'm wounded.~ Flame regarded sarcasm, no matter what anyone said as an art form. 

~I'm touched you care.~

Another laugh bit out of his throat as he gathered the location of his work partner. Strange, how they'd been sent to kill Jake's soulmate, and met Flames… Flame jogged easily into the alley just as a panther and a battered faggot ran out. 

He grinned appreciatively and grabbed Jake's arm as he went to finish them off. He ignored the pointed look his hand was receiving. ~Why not get them all together?~

_*_

Soft. Warm. Safe. Parts of her body that she didn't want to think about hurt, but it was distant, and if she couldn't name them, then they didn't matter. But slowly her mind threw up words, and again, she connected them. 

Back. It was bruised Hands, they stung. Throat was raw. Feet and legs ached with pulled muscles, and her stomach was about to empty. Shoulder. Oh, the shoulder… It burned and stung like nothing she'd ever felt before, eclipsing all others, probably the cause of the sickness in the pit of her stomach. _What was I doing last night…?_

"The sun shines, and you're awake." 

Voice. Aiden. Relief and worry. 

She cracked open an eye and moaned, before prising it open again. "What happened?" She asked, only it sounded like a get away car on a gravel road. _I was shot…_ a hole opened in her stomach and refused to shut. She fixed Aiden with her one open eye and stared, refusing to panic till she had a solid reason, as yesterday's events were far and faint in her mind.

Aiden had watched her sleep, her hair dirty and tangled, just the way she hated it to be making her look paler as she sank deeper than rememorable dreams, dreading her waking up because he'd have to tell her, and hoping she did, otherwise he'd loose another sister. But his fear would not hold him back. Slowly he chanted under his breath, reinforcing the healing spells that were laced through Faiths shoulder. He was so tuned in with her he almost felt her consciences swim through the layers of being until finally she was awake, but still in blissful forgetfulness. 

Ignoring her question, and hinting for her to shut her eyes again he tilted her head up gently and tipped some Lucazade into her mouth. She pulled a face but drank greedily. He knew she hated the beverage, but she needed the sugar more than she needed to appease her tongue buds. It would also settle her stomach. He laid her head softly back on the pillow and checked her drip for something to do. He could see the knowledge flood into her eyes and answered the questions as before she could form them.

"We're at a Daybreak Safehouse." He sat on the edge of the bed and stared down at her. "You probably guessed about the fact T-t-t." He broke off, reforming his thoughts, taking it from a different angle. "I'm a witch." His voice stuck in his throat at the thought of what had happened to her. "And there are vampires, and shifters. And they want to rule the world, enslave humans, thinking that they're better, since they have things that humans don't have. They call their group the Nightworld. Then there is us, Circle Daybreak, we think everyone and everything deserves the chance to live in peace, which is why we get targeted." He stopped, and let her digest. 

"Do they do deals on assassins?" She said finally.

Aiden gave her a small grin. "They do indeed…" He rolled his neck but felt his body stiffening as Faith asked the inevitable question. 

"Where's Talitha?" Alarm was starting to spread in her now. 

"We have Talitha here." Aiden swallowed carefully.

"But..." Faith was pushing herself to sit up, her eyes intent on Aiden, able to read every expression of his face. 

"Vampires have excellent mind controlling ability. They can rearrange memory, wipe the slate entirely clear and start it again…" 

Faith was sitting bolt upright now, pain forgotten. "What has he done to her!"

-*-

"Let! Me! Out!" Talitha struggled with the iron manacles, a crazed light in her eyes. Jake would never do this to her, and the supposed good guys did! How dare they! Her skin flinched away from the burning, itching iron even as she flung her whole body into tearing them from the wall.

She sagged against her bed in disgust, and sharply tipped her head to the side as the sun seared into her eyes. They didn't like the sun. No they didn't. 

She hissed as the enemy entered. The ones who'd chained her here, the vermin leaning on the vermin loving scum, and scoffed at their pain. She bit out as a hand was stretched out to her. 

Faith sank to the floor. "What the hell happened to her…" Tears started to come, again. Her sister looked like a mad thing, spit flying from her mouth, eyes crazed and fevered, and oh so pale. 

Harry appeared behind her, and shrugged helplessly. "We've looked at her mind, and it's all gone…" He made a hand gesture. "And he's twisted all her affections so…" He waved at Talitha, chained to the bed, bound with iron. 

He and Arthur had argued that out, yelling at each other, screaming, insulting… Yet ultimately it had come down to 'Arthur had hit Talitha' and that was that. 'They shouldn't have taken Talitha with them', as – here Arthur had sneered – she certainly didn't agree with Daybreak anymore, and she would lead Jake straight to them. 

He looked at the half-there-beast shackled to the now soiled sheets. Harry mourned for the pain she would be in, trapped in all the iron. But it couldn't be helped. He patted Faith on her good shoulder gently, then picked her up at Aiden's hint. She needed to rest, and watching what had once held her sister wasn't helping. 

He put her back to bed, ignoring her protests, not rising the worry and anger that was in him and soundlessly nudged her mind into sleep.

It was going to be a long day. All the witches where trying to work out a cure for Talitha, but Harry had seen her mind. They didn't have much to work with. But they had to try.

He just hoped they didn't make it worse.

-*-

A dry wind had cleared most water from the atmosphere, and the cold of night had set in, making air crisp and noticeable in their lungs. Stars glowed coldly far above them, but they didn't need the light. And here they were, lighting a fire. There was something about arson that was incredibly satisfying. Not as good as a fuck or blood, but it filled the need in Flame that screamed for destruction.

He settled back in the shadows, and waited, almost tempted into going to see if it was going to set light. The 'Safe House' was still, muted by night and day living creatures all abed, the wards glinting if it caught his eye. Deserted, isolated. On the far reaches of town. And finally, finally, a little spark was lit, and slowly grew until the flames had almost eaten the house

He watched, almost loosing his eyebrows as the wind shifted, and he laughed. 

He closed his eyes as his hair singed; he could feel her wake up, her terror and her fear. He could almost smell it amongst the smoke that assaulted his nostrils, not allowing any other scent through. He could feel her tears drying on her cheeks, on tense skin, and smoke penetrate her lungs, and how she slowly suffocated, her fingers clawing at the carpet as she slowly died, and he was left in the silence, that roared, like the blaze of the fire, blinding him.

He wanted to watch the fire claim her body, but instead disappeared in the gathering crowd, his back to the light, his eyes recovering quickly, back to familiar, reliable quiet. Yes, it hurt, but pain of a barely acknowledged soul was nothing to what he had survived. He relished in the almost lost emptiness. 

Jake hadn't stopped to watch the fire. That was one thing the amateur could be counted on, to burn. He let his eyes drift shut, and was in every way but actuality there as her chains started to heat up, really burning her skin, sticking and branding, blocking all of her attempts at a spell to clear the air so she could breath, and failing. 

Hot smoke and ash were residing in her lungs, but her mind was still a blank, emotions and thoughts boiling on the surface of an abyss. Animal fear. Primal instinct. The three F's flooding her mind.

Yes, something's had to go. And she was definitely one of them. Women.

He felt an almost physical snap, that pained him, made him stumble, then he walked on, into the night, silence ringing and roaring in his ears, as though he were standing by a water fall, or an inferno, or in a tornado… any extreme of an element.

And someday, if he were unlucky, that clear bell tone would peal out again, disguised in silver and corded. 

Maybe it would turn out differently. But he doubted it.

It was a beautiful night, and the nothing inside him hungered.


End file.
